2008 Ford Taurus New Owner Reports

Comments

I work at a large Ford dealer in conservative affluent NJ Suburbs. Test Drive the Ford Edge, and you will understand why no one is buying the Taurus. People are trading in their Explorers in DROVES for the new Edge.

The Taurus is the most boring sedan design on the road today with the possible exception of the new Sebring.

The 2010 Taurus goes on sale summer of 2009 and according to Alan Mulally, it will be the car that Ford should have introduced in the first place in and I hope its worth the wait!

Thanks for the link.I have not given the Edge much thought because it gets less MPG than the Taurus and MPG is going to be a big issue in my next purchase. It would however be a great replacement for our 1993 Explorer.

I would hate to think of the Taurus as Ford&#146;s answer to the Buick, however, do turn 60 this year, but Im a long way from &#147;Buick status&#148; ( I have looked at the Buick, but mpg and price keep me away)

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I test drove one that had a sunroof. I doubt if I would want that option. Otherwise, loaded what are they selling for real world? Do they have an engine in which some cylinders cut off at high speeds? Is there added safety in having AWD in dry driving conditions?The Taurus has a big interior and high crash ratings. Is the firm ride part of the Volvo platform tradition? I will take the firm, stiff ride over the "boaty" ride of my step-father's Mercury Gran Marquis anyday.

Do they have an engine in which some cylinders cut off at high speeds?

Nope, but they offer 28 MPG highway, which is darn good in my opinion, and very competitive.

Is there added safety in having AWD in dry driving conditions?

Not much of one; handling may be slightly better (and I mean SLIGHTLY), but the type of system used isn't supportive of canyon carving (as in the Acura RL Sedan and MDX Crossover); instead, its for slick conditions. It also hurts fuel economy. I don't think (just my opinion here) that AWD is as beneficial as people think, since it does nothing to help you stop, but instead helps you get going. I'd get ESC and avoid the AWD.

Is the firm ride part of the Volvo platform tradition? I will take the firm, stiff ride over the "boaty" ride of my step-father's Mercury Gran Marquis anyday.

Few people will call the Taurus firm; controlled maybe, but quite soft. Drive a Fusion, that'll show you firm.

For me the deal killer in getting a new Taurus was the lack of a telescoping steering wheel. I am tall with long legs. With the seat set for me I had to have my arms fully extended straight out to reach the steering wheel, an uncomfortable and tiring position. I don't understand it; there is probably not another car of this price without a telescoping steering wheel.

Even the most basic $14,810 Honda Civic offers a telescoping steering wheel, as does my Accord and MANY new cars. American carmakers have been slower to add this feature than foreign carmakers, it seems.

We just bought a new Sable Premier, light sage exterior, and light camel interior. We were a little surprised when we test drove the vehicle at the interior colors. The seats are the light camel leather, the dash and some other plastic trim are a darker gray, and the wood trim is a light color. The seats are not two tone colors.I have not seen these interior colors in the Sable or Taurus brochures or online. They all have the darker wood trim. Has anyone else seen this light wood trim in a Sable or Taurus? My wife and I actually like the color, maybe better than the dark wood trim.

We just returned from the first long driving trip in our 2008 Taurus Limited AWD. One way distance was approximately 1180 miles and the car averaged 25mpg going and 24mpg on the return. Not bad but not as good as I had hoped. I suspect the AWD is the main contributor - a FWD would undoubtedly do better. Perhaps more torque would help also. Long hills on I70 resulted in one or two gear downshifts to maintain the set speed which can't be good for mileage either.The only negative that resulted from the drive is the driving position - I could not find a position that was good for both my arms and legs - when good for my arms my right leg was jammed against the console and when good for my legs, my arms were stretched in an uncomfortable position. Either more pedal adjustment is required or a telescoping steering wheel. Other than this we found the car comfortable, quiet, and very roomy. The body is tight - the only rattles were due to loose items in the cup holders or door pockets and this was the case whether we were on interstate or rough local roads.

Good point. The new EPA estimates are pretty accurate. To exceed them you really have to drive conservatively (which is doable, we recently got 30+ MPG over two road trips over 500 miles but that was in a FWD SEL).

The new EPA estimates for my car (and Accord) are grossly underrated. The new system rates my car (a 2006 4-cyl auto) at 31 highway. I get 36+ mpg when running 75 MPH with the A/C on, and have hit 40 MPG on two tanks when closer to 70 MPH with no A/C.

These are trips running up and down I-65 from Birmingham to the Gulf Coast.

I was pleased with the car but having routinely achieved 27-29mpg with my previous GM 3.8L V-6, this was kind of a step in the wrong direction. Yes, it was as advertised but I guess I had hoped that a newer technology drive train could at least keep up with the raucous old 3.8.

That 3.8 was saddled to a 4-speed transmission that had ridiculously tall gearing, making it's fuel economy on the highway quite good. Remember, this engine puts out a LOT more usable power than the 3800.

We drove my wife's FWD Taurus from Minneapolis to Southern Iowa and back over the Memorial Day weekend. Going down into a bit of a headwind, we got 29.6 MPG. On the return trip, with a bit of tailwind, the mileage rose to 31.4. This is driving at 75-80 MPH most of the way.

I am very pleased with this mileage. I give a lot of credit to the 6 speed transmission and overall gearing. Cruising down the interstate, it is turning about 1000 RPM less than my Lincoln LS at the same speed. I also give a lot of credit to the 3.5 engine for having sufficient low end torque to pull that tall gearing without a lot of downshifting.

No doubt the FWD model uses less fuel than AWD. Added weight, rotational mass, and friction make a difference.

Not sure that I agree with all of your statements. Yes, the 3.8 was saddled with a four-speed auto so there were some long gaps between gears. The hills on I-70 between Colorado Springs and Cincinnati were a piece of cake for the 3.8 while the Ford had to downshift one or two notches. And they both turn less than 2000 rpm at 70+mph. I suspect that the torque curve on the 3.8 comes on at a much lower speed than the Ford which would certainly help it with the hills.Again, I like the Taurus except for the driving position issue. I also think it should do better in the economy arena.

While I don't doubt that the GM torque "peak" comes at a lower RPM, VVT engines typically allow more flexible power delivery. Also, unless your GM was a supercharged 3800, it likely makes less peak torque than the Taurus.

You never did come back and answer my question, though; was the 3.8 AWD? You say you hoped for better than the 3800 GM, but with AWD, you really aren't comparing apples to apples if the 3800 was in a Grand Prix / Oldsmobile 88 / Buick LeSabre etc, since the Taurus has the added weight and friction of AWD.

Gas gauge has not been accurate from day one,reads high.Gauge indicates half tank,put in 15 gallons,dealer claims "ITS A DESIGN FLAW"...CAN'T BE FIXED !!! Their must be 10's of thousands taurus owners running out of gas! Alan Mulally,Mark Fields,Jim Farley are you aware of this?

The 3.8 was in a Buick Ultra which is only available in FWD. And it was supercharged. I had previously owned a Buick Park Avenue with the unblown 3.8 and it likewise was great on mileage on the highway and very rarely had to downshift for a hill. So again, while the Taurus enginer is higher tech, it remains a mystery to me why it is not able to at least equal the ancient 3.8 in economy. By the way, the Park Avenue is listed at 3750 lbs while the Taurus is listed at 3640. The 3.8 generates 205 hp and 225 lbft of torque unboosted and 240 hp and 280 lbft of torque boosted. The Taurus generates 260 hp and 245 lb ft of torque.

> My wife and I actually like the color, maybe better than the dark wood trim.

It's all a matter of personal taste. I really wanted to buy a Sable as I liked the grill and Xenon lights, but bought a Taurus instead as I just couldn't stand to look at the Sable interior color combinations, particularly the light wood.

...may soon be joining the ranks as Taurus owners. They drove it yesterday, and while they dislike the exterior looks, its just too good of a buy to pass up. They may even get a program car; the dealer had nearly a dozen with 12-15k miles on them, SEL models with plenty of options (leather, convenience package, safety/security package, moonroof) for $17k.